Player Hunting (2)
Choi Junseok's eyes trembled as he stared at his phone in shock.
Lee Nayeon noticed his expression but didn't let it show. She was thinking of the mother and daughter they were eating with.
Has the worldline changed?
—If you've already broken so many records, there's no way things will unfold the same as before.
Yu Junhyeok's voice echoed inside him, confirming what he already knew.
Thinking back, it made sense. Too many things had already shifted because of his actions. It would be naive to expect the future to follow his previous experiences.
Choi Junseok immediately sensed something was wrong and contacted Team Leader Kang Jinsu.
—Something feels off. You should look into this further.
—Understood. By the way, how did you know about this person? You two have never even met.
—…That's not important right now.
—I'll begin the investigation immediately.
If it comes down to it, I can just use Song Hana as an excuse…
Choi Junseok bit his lip lightly, unease creeping over him.
Kang Jinsu also picked up on the strange signal from Choi Junseok's message. This was the first time Choi Junseok had requested an investigation instead of support.
Something's happening.
At the Player Management Agency, an unexpected emergency task was assigned in the middle of the night.
"Pull up the list of all players who died in the past few days."
Three people were quickly assigned under Kang Jinsu's command. Less than two hours later, the temporary investigation team's expressions turned to horror as they reviewed the player death toll.
"…This can't be right."
"Something… something's come."
The situation was absurd. Compared to last week, the player death rate had…
"Increased by 254.54%… Last week, there were 22 tower-related deaths total. This week alone… 78."
The problem was that several days still remained in the week. This was nothing short of a massacre. A death rate increase of over 250% compared to last week was no coincidence.
"Check the upper-floor clear records and foreign mercenary logs."
"There are no foreign mercenary death records. I handle that department, so I know."
"That makes sense."
There was no way the elite foreign tower mercenaries would die on lower floors like this.
"The current top teams are still exploring the 60th floor boss stage with no casualties."
"Other records from the Five Great Guilds and other players show clears on upper floors, but no deaths."
"What about the underground players?"
"I'll follow up and send the related data."
One employee scanning the monitors spoke up.
"Of the 78 deaths this week, 74 were government-registered players."
"…Damn. Contact the Director immediately… and keep this under wraps."
The Agency had failed to catch a variable of this scale. Even just looking at the numbers, there were 56 more deaths than last week.
Kang Jinsu forced his expression under control and wiped his mouth.
Someone's hunting players.
He entered a soundproof room optimized for calls and dialed the Director directly.
"Yes… Director. No, sir. It's about something else… I know you're busy, but I think you need to come in again. Yes, Director. This isn't normal. Yes. I'll send the data so you can review it on the way. Yes. The thing is…"
Kang Jinsu paused to catch his breath, then spoke quietly.
"Players are being hunted."
Even if I don't know the details, if my tower climbs are causing butterfly effects that reach the deaths of mid-tier guild leaders… then something is definitely happening.
The moment Choi Junseok sensed his son's expression had turned serious, he carefully stood up from the dinner table.
"Junseok, what's wrong? Lost your appetite?"
"It's nothing. Thanks for the meal. I'm full. I just remembered somewhere I need to stop by, so I'll head out first."
Back in his room, Choi Junseok immediately entered Haetaesik's forge.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound wasn't just metal being struck—it was like thunder shaking the sky. The heat was even more intense than before.
Haetaesik's back muscles told Choi Junseok he was far more focused than usual. His bulging, angry muscles pulled the chains to work the bellows while he brought down a somewhat ordinary-sized hammer onto the anvil.
Clang—!
"What's going on?"
Without turning his head, Haetaesik asked, and Choi Junseok answered.
"Something big seems to have happened outside."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"You said it would take two weeks to make. I came to ask if you could shorten that."
"Hah."
Haetaesik continued striking the materials at a steady rhythm, indifferent.
"That's impossible."
"Players are being hunted outside right now."
Thud— The hammer paused for a strange beat before resuming.
Clang!
The impact rippled through the surrounding lava.
"They've probably gathered in Korea to find players, but their ultimate target is…"
"You, isn't it?"
Clang!
"I'll do what I can. More importantly, the real problem is that you don't have a sword worthy of giving to Lee Nayeon yet."
"That's right."
Song Hana could create arrows of light in midair and protect herself with talismans on her own. Two weeks was enough time for Choi Junseok to climb nearly thirty floors. Until then, he had nothing to give Lee Nayeon.
"Bring me the head of the boss monster from the fifteenth floor of the tower you're climbing. That should cut down the time significantly."
When Choi Junseok returned to reality, Song Hana greeted him anxiously while Lee Nayeon remained calm.
"Hooee… Are you okay? Did something happen?"
"Something happen… Yeah, something happened."
A message from Kang Jinsu arrived on Choi Junseok's phone.
—It appears an external force is hunting Korean players. Avoid going outside if possible.
Just then, Lee Nayeon walked strangely toward the window with a surprised expression.
"Team Leader Kang's vehicle has arrived."
Her senses had developed another level after her promotion to SS-grade.
Lee Nayeon, who memorized vehicle numbers, saw Kang Jinsu's car entering the underground parking lot.
Choi Junseok felt a hint of confusion. Normally, Kang Jinsu would announce whether he was coming or not.
—Player hunting?
—Yes. I'll explain the details later. I'm quite busy right now.
—Later? Didn't you just come here?
Lee Nayeon spoke at that moment.
"Someone's at the door."
—What? I'm currently at the Player Management Agency's Gangnam branch.
—You mean the black agency vehicle you rode in just entered the basement?
—What? That can't be…
A startled Kang Jinsu hurriedly called Choi Junseok. The moment Choi Junseok answered—
A knock sounded at his door.
"Is anyone home? This is the Player Management Agency."
No one was supposed to visit here. Which meant—
—Junseok, do NOT open the door!
But it was already too late.
Crack—!
After Song Hana's protective barrier activated—
"Ah… Don't worry. It looks like they've frozen cleanly."
—…Looks like we've got someone to interrogate.
Kang Jinsu sighed and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
—I'll head straight to your residence. I'll prepare temporary housing, so you should inform your family as well.
After ending the call, Kang Jinsu rushed outside.
It was true. His work bulletproof mid-size vehicle was gone. The car he used for official business—traveling between headquarters and the Gangnam branch, or visiting Choi Junseok's home.
Pressing his electronic key did nothing. No vehicle responded.
"Team Leader Kang? Why do you look like that? Where are you going?"
"I'm not going home, so don't worry about it. Report to the Director for me when he arrives."
"…?"
The words "It's Function" rose in Kang Jinsu's throat before dying there.
There's a spy from outside hidden within.
They'd even pinpointed which floor and unit Choi Junseok lived in.
That means we've been tracked for quite some time.
Kang Jinsu clenched his fists in rage. This was a complete security management failure. His work had never been this pathetic before.
As he walked down the hallway toward the elevator, he saw a pillar of smoke rising outside the window.
"Good god…"
Choi Junseok mouthed a question to Lee Nayeon.
Anyone else outside?
Lee Nayeon closed her eyes briefly, spreading her senses, then shook her head.
"No one."
"What was he planning to do, coming alone?"
But Choi Junseok soon realized.
"No… He wasn't the only one who came for me."
Choi Junseok, Lee Nayeon, and Song Hana's gazes all turned to the living room window at once.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
Faint explosions like distant fireworks rang out, followed by the windows shaking. Pillars of smoke rose in the distance.
"Lee Nayeon, Song Hana… stay on high alert. Something… has begun."
At the same time, the disguised figures weren't only visiting Choi Junseok's home.
Similar knocks echoed at the homes of other tracked players.
"Is anyone home? This is the Player Management Agency. Could you open the door for a moment?"
The players naturally didn't respond to such suspicious behavior. But that alone was enough for the visitors to confirm they'd found the right homes.
At the same time, they pulled submachine guns from their briefcases and sprayed armor-piercing rounds.
Tatatatatatatat!
After the penetrating bullets easily pierced the front door, they attached plastic explosives and blew their way inside, mercilessly gunning down the players and their families.
That wasn't all.
"Blow it up."
"3… 2… 1… Detonate."
Boom! Boom! Bang! Boom!
Rumble…
After breaching the security of player residential complexes, unidentified groups detonated entire buildings by targeting their support pillars.
The North Korean players who blew up the buildings had no intention of surviving. Saluting toward their great leader as the buildings collapsed, they entered the Magic Tower and vanished.
Their actions inside the tower were unanimous.
"Glory to the great leader comrade!"
After confirming everyone had taken the drugs, the leader swallowed his own final dose and melted away, his form dissolving into slime within the tower.
It was the perfect crime—leaving behind no bodies, not even the guns used in the terror attack.
Except for the one frozen at Choi Junseok's house.
Society was shocked by the massive terrorist acts unfolding in the heart of Seoul. Suddenly, pillars of fire rose across the city. Buildings collapsed. Air raid sirens blared loudly.
Even after martial law was declared alongside emergency forces, no terrorist bodies or tools could be found at the scenes.
The only thing remaining at those horrific sites was the one frozen figure before Kang Jinsu and Choi Junseok—the North Korean player and operative who had failed to commit suicide after completing his mission.
As Choi Junseok and Lee Nayeon stared in bewilderment at the smoke pillars outside the window, Kang Jinsu spoke quietly.
"Junseok… Can you destroy the Kaesong Magic Tower?"
"Destroy the tower…"
It no longer felt impossible. No—Choi Junseok nodded, determined to make it possible even if it wasn't.